Your regular rough and tumble...

minimal.

Recently, the government has announced banning voting rights for all prisoners.

This changes previous legislation implemented by the former Labour government in 2020 - allowing prisoners serving a sentence less than three years the right to vote.

Previously, in 2015, the High Court ruled that a blanket approach to banning voting rights for prisoners goes against the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.

For our weekly catch up, News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Te Pāti Māori’s Takutai Kemp about this move, and how the party is feeling about it.

They also discussed the party’s calls for significantly more funding for Whakaata Māori in Budget 2025, as well as Cabinet agreeing to recommendations to the ECE, or early childhood education, sector.

But first, they discussed the blanket ban on prisoners voting.

Featuring Loose Reads thanks to Time Out Bookstore and a chat with Ben from Holiday Records for their annual First Cut competition. 

Flo filling in for Penny on The One To Four!

Flo covering the One to Four with a blast of predominantly Kiwi tunes! 

Currently, a lot of animal products imported into the country are coming from countries with animal welfare standards behind those of Aotearoa, such as in the US and China.

In a report released earlier this year by Animal Policy International, findings show that 60% of all pork eaten in the country comes from overseas.

In light of these concerns, a petition will be delivered to Parliament tomorrow, aiming to better regulate imports of animal products into the country to fit our standards.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, spoke to Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere, an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Auckland about this, and what he hopes comes out of this petition.

This week Suri reviews 1985 by Dominic Hoey - a cinematic fiction set in Grey Lynn. Thanks to our friends at Time Out Bookstore!

ACT Party leader David Seymour has made headlines with his proposal to abolish a number of ministerial portfolios and reduce the size of Cabinet, calling the current line-up “bloated.” He argues that fewer ministers would mean a more efficient and focused government.

Seymour’s proposal has raised questions about how cuts would impact already underrepresented communities, with concerns removing ministries like Pacific Peoples and Māori Development could reduce vital advocacy and attention. 

For our weekly catch up, Producer Evie spoke to ACT MP Simon Court about the proposal, and whether it would genuinely streamline government — or simply overburden remaining ministers. 

They also discussed a new member’s bill from ACT aimed at removing mandatory climate-related disclosures for banks. ACT says the rules currently disadvantage rural borrowers and farmers, while critics argue the move signals a retreat from climate responsibility. 

And finally, they spoke about last week’s unprecedented strike action by senior doctors, which saw over 5,000 walk off the job nationwide.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon recently met with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, in London. Starmer thanked Aotearoa for its “support” for its “coalition of the willing” regarding the potential peace deal being put forward by the Trump Administration.

However, concerns have been raised about what the administration is proposing, which could result in original Ukraine land annexed by Russia, such as Crimea in 2014, belonging to Moscow, and ruling out NATO membership for Ukraine.

News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host Host, Joel, spoke to Robert Patman, a Professor of International Relations at the University of Otago, about his article on the Conversation, discussing his concerns regarding this and how New Zealand should move forward in reiterating support for Ukraine.

Global Innovator, Matt Hart, joins News and Editorial Director and Monday Wire Host, Joel, and Producer Evie, in studio, to discuss young people, social media, and politics.